Good news if you don't have a car in LA

[Lovehound]

And I'll admit that I work at home so I can afford to live in an outlying area and enjoy a nicer home but not have to pay the cost of spending a lot of time and money commuting to a job in the city.

[lewimaech235]

Originally Posted by genjy

Some dude trying too hard to convince people that indiana es muy magnífico.

I never said that, and used the generic state as an example.

Originally Posted by Lovehound

And I'll admit that I work at home so I can afford to live in an outlying area and enjoy a nicer home but not have to pay the cost of spending a lot of time and money commuting to a job in the city.

Well, you told me to look it up on Zillow, and then you won't let me check it out. I guess we know who's paying $700K for a "walkable" 1 bd 1 bthrm home.

Moderator cut: orphaned

[samwaters]

I agree Los Angeles has so much to offer! The cost makes up for everything there is to do and the beauty of the state, plus people tend to make more money in the LA area. Also, in recent news there has been talk about the increase of minimum wage!

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by lewimaech235

Well, you told me to look it up on Zillow, and then you won't let me check it out. I guess we know who's paying $700K for a "walkable" 1 bd 1 bthrm home.

You really think I'm going to tell some anonymous person or everybody on the Internet where I live?

I live in the hills in a view home overlooking Valencia and that is all the details I'm going to share. And I got it for half the price the same house would cost in the San Fernando Valley or Simi Valley.

And I can see Russia from my bedroom window when the atmosphere is really clear!

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by samwaters

I agree Los Angeles has so much to offer! The cost makes up for everything there is to do and the beauty of the state, plus people tend to make more money in the LA area. Also, in recent news there has been talk about the increase of minimum wage!

I'll agree that you have to pay people more to work here, but minimum wage? Just wait and see what happens when they raise the minimum wage to $15/hour. Your Big Mac is going to cost about the same, $15, until they automate all those jobs and then a single MacDonalds will take about 5 people to run a full service restaurant. You'll order your food on a touch screen. The hamburgers and fries will be pooped out of a programmable machine. The people who work there will be one manager, 3 technicians, and one person to clean up tables.

The only thing $15/hour minimum wage is going to do is get rid of minimum wage jobs, and replace them with machines that will work for nothing but capital cost, maintenance and minimal operator intervention.

[thelopez2]

Originally Posted by genjy

There's a good middle-ground somewhere.

On one hand, most people would prefer not to be packed in like sardines, but then on the other hand there are many who wish they didn't have to drive a long-ass way to everything. An area with sensible density and good walkability would be quite desirable.

I hear a lot of trash talking about high density and walkability from people who live in the High Desert, but their car-centric, exurban lifestyle is nothing to be envious of.

Desirable means higher demand = higher cost.

Originally Posted by Lovehound

So you're saying that people who can't afford to walk have to spend more money to commute via auto or other means. That just makes no sense.

The reality is that people who can't afford nice houses and drive home have to live in high rise apartments, packed in like sardines.

I'm saying people will pay to not have to drive then price out the people who walk out of necessity. DTLA is getting a little pricey if you want to own. Speaking with money, they are saying they'd rather spend $500k in DTLA rather than 500k in a less dense area, so the demand is already there.

Take a 20 mile ,1 hours commute, 40 miles a day. 20 miles per gallon, $4.00 a gallon = $8 a day ,$40 a week $120 month, $160 pretaxed, or $2000 a year. You can see how people can easily get priced out.

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by thelopez2

I mean instead of 1 person and 1 bedroom at $1400, 2 people and 2 bedrooms at $2000, they'll have more disposable income. Or 1 single person and a couple which would be your scenario of two to a room, and have even more disposal income to eat out and spend on entertainment. That scenario only last for so long until they either split up or get married.

It's essentially self limiting, though, and not an acceptable solution for the vast majority of people. Twenty-four years old, and sharing a two-bedroom with a friend? Fine. At thirty-eight? Not so much.

[thelopez2]

Originally Posted by Those Who Squirm

It's essentially self limiting, though, and not an acceptable solution for the vast majority of people. Twenty-four years old, and sharing a two-bedroom with a friend? Fine. At thirty-eight? Not so much.

Agree I'm thinking more right out of school.

[Count David]

Tangents. We go off on them.

Sometimes in our cars. Sometimes walking.

LA is progressing down its natural course. Eventually you're built out, and have no choice to go but up.

Let's move up to another topic.